In the 1980’s, Jon Lovitz played a character on Saturday Night Live named Tommy Flanagan but known as The Liar:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pkYNBwCEeH4

If you’ve spent any time at all listening to Mitt Romney in debates or in stump speeches, you may agree that this appears to be Romney’s role model. Consider Romney’s speech in South Carolina today:

When I was at Bain, I was a wealth–…a job creator, yeah, that’s what I was. I created a million jobs in a billion companies! Why, I even created the Middle Class! Yeah, that’s the ticket! But Obama, he wants fairness–…er…European socialism! Yeah, that’s what he wants. And he wants to…take everyone’s jobs and money away and use arugula as the national currency! Yeah, that’s his plan!”

Mitt Romney’s track record would make Jon Lovitz blush. His betrayals and dishonesty on his past positions are well known. When Fox News’ Brett Baier confronted Romney on the fact that he had completely flipped on his support for a health insurance mandate as contained in his own Romneycare plan, a fumbling Romney stated that Baier had his facts wrong.

As we’ve seen time and again, Romney’s response to be caught red handed as a hypocrite and liar is, “I know you are but what am I?”

Can someone with no visible means of support when it comes to honesty, character and principles, an obvious and serial liar, be elected President?

We have had many deceitful and dishonest men elected President but none of them ran solely on lies nor ran on positions that were all the exact opposite of where they had stood just several years before.

There is nothing genuine about Mitt Romney (which may explain why the plastics industry has contributed hugely to his campaign, he is a great walking advertisement for them). There is no sign of sympathy or empathy for other human beings (or dogs for that matter) that is in evidence. Romney is an adult child who has been given everything he’s ever had and naturally thinks he should continue to be entitled to whatever he wants. He has lived in a bubble of wealth and elitism and looks at 99% of Americans like beetles he’s caught in a jar.

Coming from a life of self-entitlement, his only priority is getting what he wants and lying is irrelevant if it provides him with what he desires.

We know from this GOP Presidential Primary season that the core Republican base also doesn’t care if their candidates are liars, in fact, if they see the lie as helpful in hammering the Democrats, they cheer it on (birth certificates anyone?).

There is a dynamic, a co-dependence between dishonesty and what it takes to make one most viable in the GOP Primary. To begin, the current requirements of racism, hatred, greed and religious purity that the GOP rank and file seek in a candidate is not humanly possible nor viable in a General Election so it is an unachievable fantasy.

Romney and the rest of the GOP candidates aren’t principled enough to step up and say that such a childish wishlist isn’t possible, they instead offer a wink and a nod and put on their Santa “Flaws” costumes and lie and deceive to play the role that the GOP “kiddies” are rooting for them to play.

For Mitt Romney, a man whose “principles” are more like interchangeable Lego blocks, the response is, “No problem, I can do that!”

Do Americans put a higher value on hearing what they want to hear or honesty? Will they vote for someone like Mitt Romney who is all but telling the public, “I am just lying non-stop to get elected President” as long as they like the lies they’re being told by him?

It wouldn’t be the first time that Americans have done so, we only need to look back to 2010. In that election, the same Republicans who lied, cheated and helped steal massive wealth and jobs from Americans, lied about how they would create jobs if elected and the desperate American People swallowed that lie whole.

The question is, have they learned, even for at least the time being, that believing in BS from Republicans without putting it in context with their actual actions in the very recent past, is self-destructive?

In the end, I think so. It seems most likely that the characterization of Romney as the quintessential wealthy opportunist and liar will continue to be cemented, especially once the Obama and DNC campaigns start in earnest.

The fears and desires of Americans are preyed upon daily by corporations in their commercials and by politicians in their game playing. The rise of Occupy Wall Street, the broad acknowledgement of economic inequity and the disapproval of politicians in general offers encouragement that the American People are at least taking a sabbatical from being easily manipulated by the wealthy and the powers that be.

2012 would not seem to be The Year of the Liar, it seems more likely to be The Year of The People and yeah, that’s the ticket.

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bito
Member

Man of the Streets!

[img]http://bobcesca.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/romneyWorldView.jpg[/img]

http://bobcesca.com/blog-archives/2012/01/the-romney-worldview.html?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

SallyT
Member

LOL, good one! But, I wonder if he would even care to look.

bito
Member

Game Over!

“We believe Newt’s experience, leadership, knowledge, wisdom, faith and even humility to learn from his failures (personal and public) can return America to her glory days. And he is the best man left on the battlefield who is able to outwit, outplay and outlast Obama and his campaign machine.”

Chuck Norris endorses Newt Gingrich for president
http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/regions/americas/united-states/120120/chuck-norris-endorses-newt-gingrich-president

And how did he reach this conclusion?

Who is most committed to follow and lead by the U.S. Constitution?
Who has the greatest leadership ability to rally, unify and mobilize citizens across political and societal spectrums?
Who has the best working comprehension of America?
Who has the best ability to influence a volatile world away from its brink of destruction?
Who has clear and present moral fortitude?
Who can best beat President Barack Obama (in and outside of debates)?
Who has the best abilities to lead Washington politics and politicians?
Who has the best plan and leadership ability to restore America’s economy?
Who is the most fiscally prudent?
Who has demonstrated the highest regard for human life?

Khirad
Member

He even lies and is disingenuous about how smart/dumb he is.

He pulled the “class envy” canard on a guy who confronted him and shot back snark on the guy that he was free to believe in a system like they have in China, North Korea, or Russia.

Well, he probably doesn’t realize all those places are run by elites like him, but he’s certainly smarter than the GOP flock than to not realize Russia is no longer the Soviet Union. Hell, he probably has a bank account in Moscow.

For a party that credits Reagan for the fall of the Berlin Wall they sure do seem confused that there’s no more USSR. Boggles my mind, that disconnect.

But let’s get back to China, shall we?

This looks more like a GOP wet dream than a Democratic one:

http://www.businessspectator.com.au/bs.nsf/Article/China-economy-CCP-politics-Hu-Jintao-reform-pd20120106-Q8VT2?opendocument&src=rss

http://articles.latimes.com/2012/jan/08/world/la-fg-china-corruption-on-wheels-20120108

foodchain
Member
foodchain

Sounds pretty much like our highly advanced GOP political process 🙂 although it seems they use bigger words in Nigeria.

“Wealthy fraudsters are given chieftaincy titles and venerated, and their nefarious deeds are euphemistically tagged venial.”
Chiedu Uche Okoye; Victims of Illusion; Daily Independent (Nigeria); Jun 27, 2011.

KQµårk 死神
Member

Only in SC. Quote from a GOP voter.

“I mean you look at Bill Clinton and his peccadilloes. And you see how people were affected by that. And they understood that he was human. And Newt is human.”

“Peccadilloes” I gotta remember that one.

http://2012.talkingpointsmemo.com/2012/01/comfortably-numb-south-carolinians-say-sex-on-tv-and-single-mothers-dull-the-sting-of-newts-past.php

Well color me impressed. I had to look up “peccadilloes” and I guess the person in SC I was patronizing is more intelligent than I give them credit.

pec·ca·dil·lo
noun /ˌpekəˈdilō/ 
peccadilloes, plural; peccadillos, plural

A small, relatively unimportant offense or sin

bito
Member

That photo and seeing her standing next to newt on the telly, Calista, is frightening. She reminds me of a sci-fi character that is ready to rip off a mask revealing some horrid creature. If there is a birth certificate that needs to be shown, it’s hers. She is from the planet gxlgribl-3! 🙂

Mrs Attacks

foodchain
Member
foodchain

Bito: absolutley. I’ve thought—well, turns out I can’t say it in public. I bet she ditches him after she writes her book. Newt’s of no further use to her in the GOP

bito
Member

I know it’s unkind to make fun of someone looks, lord knows I’m no looker, but I have some very weird fascination with her when she is on TV. She is so robotic, unearthly to me, so much I often miss what Newt is even saying (does that really matter?). I keep waiting for her to show any outward emotion, anything!

foodchain
Member
foodchain

KQ, But impeaching a president for a peccadilloe is not a peccadilloe. Nor is shutting down the government. Demanding first row seating on Air Force One did seem peevish though. But at least he didn’t have to be put in his place like Juan Williams was by another kind and thoughtful SC GOP.

Khirad
Member

Can we go back to see if he thought it was a peccadillo back then?

KQµårk 死神
Member

Mittens pulled another lie today by implying the Navy is weaker now under Obama than it was in 1917 because they had more ships back then, huh?

http://motherjones.com/mojo/2012/01/south-carolina-romney-floats-whopper-about-navy

Of course a few of our aircraft carriers would destroy the Navy we had in 1917 in a few days. Where is Romney going to get all this money from because building ships is quite expensive?

Perhaps the biggest part of the lie is the US always has a huge amount of ships mothballed which can go into service in months if need be. Obviously Romney wants to start another war because he does not want to stand down from our two theater war posture at all.

SallyT
Member

And, how many ships does everybody else have? It is my understanding that we have the most already. Russia is building but that is because their fleet is so old but they are not really adding but replacing. How big is Irans navy fleet? Or is it China that is making us count our ships? And, our Aircraft? Well, it is a good thing President Obama saved our auto industry. Because during WWII, it was our auto industry that was use to manufacture the aircraft needed. I don’t think we could count on those foreign auto makers to help out.
The Repucks just can’t get away from the scare tactics. Besides, all China would use would be a computer and down we go. President Obama has already stated that we are focusing protecting the country from attack in that direction. None of these jerks mention that.

SallyT
Member

Oh, I forgot. Has anyone checked the size of our calvary lately? The attack maybe coming from Mexico and Santa Anna may come for the Alamo. Perry better get back to Texas!

Khirad
Member

I posted about it before, and estimates vary, but we’re at least bigger than the next dozen navies COMBINED.

Also, we’re scared because of a few crappy subs and China’s new aircraft carrier.

LOL, just look up its history.

Iran’s Navy consists mostly of progressively again pre-Revolution ships, North Korean and domestically produced lemons, and rubber rafts.

Here is their mighty fleet:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_current_ships_of_the_Iranian_Navy

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Navy_of_the_Army_of_the_Guardians_of_the_Islamic_Revolution#Watercraft

SueInCa
Member

Remember how everyone was saying Obama would be up against a tough foreign policy issue and he would not pass the test? I think the bitterness is because he has passed them all.

SallyT
Member

There is nothing wrong with a rich man being President, Franklin Roosevelt and John Kennedy were. But, the difference is that these two men had empathy for those that weren’t as fortunate. They run on a platform to help those that weren’t. And, to help those people get the necessities to achieve for themselves. The other people in the same category as themselves (wealthy) should help with a “hand” up to others and that will bring wealth to the country as a whole. Romney in his laundry pressed jeans, runs on a platform that if you don’t have money, you are just jealous of me and lazy. If you didn’t have rich parents or know how to legally rob from others, that is your problem not mine. The Republican Party is out to do away with Roosevelt’s New Deal and to attack the civil rights gain under Kennedy and Johnson. Being rich is not evil. But a person can be evil with his riches.

SallyT
Member

Sorry, AdLib, I got on my soap box before saying you wrote another good article and thank you for sharing. Always insightful are you to me. 🙂

KQµårk 死神
Member

Two big differences with Mittens. First he’s hiding income to actually pay a lower tax rate than the minuscule 15% while the rich presidents you mentioned did pay their fair share. Second the policies he’s recommending enrich himself and his cronies while stomping on the workers.

KillgoreTrout
Member

“Many even of those who desire to form aristocratic governments make a mistake, not only in giving too much power to the rich, but in attempting to overreach the people. There comes a time when out of a false good there arises a true evil since the encroachments of the rich are more destructive to the constitution than those of the people.”–Aristotle

One of my favorite quotes.

SueInCa
Member

Romney cannot even be true to statements he has made to his brother. After his disappointing loss to Ted Kennedy he told his brother, “I don’t want to run again unless I can win” Oh wait did someone tell him it was in the bag this time?

Also I am wondering how the whining by the right about their Constitutional rights being assaulted has driven Romney as well. You know the Mormons think that when the Constitution is in trouble, it will be their church that saves the day. As an elder in his church he well knows that is a tenant of their religion. What better way for Mormons to take over government positions and have another Bush administration? he would be in a position to hasten what his religion deems as “hanging by a thread” of the Constitution.

Brigham Young promised that Mormons will do it

“When the Constitution of the United States hangs, at it were, upon a single thread, they will have to call for the “Mormon” Elders to save it from utter destruction; and they will step forth and do it.” (Discourses of Brigham Young, p. 361)

Brigham Young envisioned globalization:

“I expect to see the day when the Elders of Israel will protect and sustain civil and religious liberty and every Constitutional right bequeathed to us by our fathers, and spread these rights abroad in connetion with the Gospel for the salvation of all nations. I shall see this whether I live or die. (Discourses of Brigham Young p. 361)

Only a righteous and informed people can save and restore the Constitution in these last days. http://members.tripod.com/~runwin/gov.html

Today’s Mormon Leaders Watch The Constitution Disintegrate

“Today, as we see hovering over the nations of the earth the ever-darkening clouds of nuclear war, we are prone to think that righteousness among men is waning. In our own beloved country, “a land choice above all other lands,” we are grieved and shocked when the Supreme Court renders a decision ruling that it is unconstitutional for the Federal Government of any State to require a “belief in the existence of God” as a qualification for public office; also, we experience apprehension when we know that enemies to our republican form of government are becoming more blatant when we see political demagogues seemingly more successful drunkenness and immorality flauntingly defiant — seeing these conditions we wonder whether mankind is growing better or worse.” (President David O. McKay Oct. 1961 General Conference)

This last statement was recorded in 1961

http://www.cephasministry.com/mormon_mormonism_and_the_constitution.html

Carmen
Member
Carmen

You have such a way with words. Very well put. I’d love to borrow this quote —

“Romney is an adult child who has been given everything he’s ever had and naturally thinks he should continue to be entitled to whatever he wants. He has lived in a bubble of wealth and elitism and looks at 99% of Americans like beetles he’s caught in a jar.”

Chernynkaya
Member

We LOVE Tommy Flan-A-gan at our house! (He was married to Morgan Fairchild, you know.) Romney is like that Captain Shittyoti of the Concordia: He tripped and fell into the 1%.

jjgravitas
Member
jjgravitas

The GOP amd its politiks, currently represented by Romney and his competition, are the modern equivalent of the murderous corruption of the Popes of the First Millenia. Freedom of religion anyone?

KQµårk 死神
Member

Cheers for derailing the Romney Lie Express with humor. The only way to defeat lies is to spotlight them and tell people what the truth is. I think certain lies like the lies Romney says about Obama’s foreign policy record just won’t hold any weight because people saw the truth with their own eyes. But lies about how Obama is a capitalism hating socialist or ‘food stamp’ president will resonate with some moderates if we don’t fight them. They are like invitations to so called ‘Reagan Democrats’.

Like the last elect this election (probably the next few forward as well) are referendums on not only Obama’s policies to provide an efficient government that promotes the general welfare and tax fairness over Reagan’s government is evil and trickle down greed is good policies.